Court: No Right To Carry Concealed Weapons In Public

Brent Tenney displays his Glock 9mm semi-automatic handgun on the University of Utah campus where he is a student Wednesday, April 25, 2007, in Salt Lake City.

Douglas C. Pizac / AP

(AP) - A federal appeals court says people do not have a right to carry concealed weapons in public under the 2nd Amendment.

An 11-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the ruling Thursday.

The panel says law enforcement officials can require applicants for a concealed weapons permit to show they are in immediate danger or otherwise have a good reason for a permit beyond self-defense.

The decision overturned a 2014 ruling by a smaller 9th Circuit panel.

Kamala Harris, California's attorney general, called the ruling a victory for public safety and sensible gun safety laws.

"The ruling ensures that local law enforcement leaders have the tools they need to protect public safety by determining who can carry loaded, concealed weapons in our communities," says Harris.

The Yolo County Sheriff's Office also released a statement calling the ruling a "vindication."

"The Court recognized that the conditions vary from county to county and that Sheriffs should have corresponding flexibility in addressing gun control," says Sheriff Ed Prieto in the press release. "As such, requiring one to state 'good cause' when applying for a permit to carry a concealed weapon in public does not violate the Second Amendment."